Feed-water heater



Dec. 10, 1929. A, STARR 1,738,848

FEED WATER HEATER Filed Feb. 5. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 10, 1929. A. STARR 1,738,848

FEED WATER HEATER Filed Feb. 3. 1928 s sheets-sheet 2 A TTORNEY `Dec. l0, 1929. A. STARR yFEED WATER HEATER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 5. 1928 Patented Dec. 1o, 1929` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADOLPH STARR, OE CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPERHEATEB COH- PANY, 0F NEW YORK', N'. Y.

FEED-WATER HEATER Application led February 3, 1928. Serial No. 251,579.

This invention relates to feed-water heaters of the so-called closed type and has particular reference to a structure of this type for locomotive use.

The object of the invention is to 'provide a better structure of this kind and for this purpose than has been' available heretofore.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings led herewith, in which Fig. 1 shows a vertical 4longitudinal section of a feedwater heater according to my invention; Fig.

- 2 is a View of the device looking at it from below; Fig. 3 is an end View from the left end of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is avsection on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a section'on line 5--5 of Fig. 1, the casing being omitted.

Feed-water heaters of the type with which I am herein concerned are intended for the purpose of preheating water which is to be fed to a boiler, for example the boiler of a locomotive, this preheating being done by means of exhaust steam coming from the engine. The heating steam and the water to be heated are not permitted to mingle. The former is on the outside of a set of pipes through the interior of which the water is carried.

The. casing 1 has one end, indicated by the reference numeral 2, permanently closed. The other end is provided with a ange 3 to which Vthe tube sheet 4 is secured by means' of bolts or studs 5. The tube sheet has a .plurality of tube holes arranged as described a litt-le further on, in which the ends of the tubes 6 are secured. As is clearly shown in Fig. l, the tubes each comprise two straight, parallel lengths and a curved portion 7 joining them. The curved portions 7 are of increasing sizes from the center out and the units or elements in any one plane are nested. In practice the tube units are arranged in vertical planes. The number of units or elements in the various planes are not the same. For example, the innermost tier 7 on each side of the center comprises five units. The next four tiers outward from the center on each side comprise four units; the next two comprise three; the next tier comprises two, while the last one marked 'Z'b has only one unit.

Against the tube sheet 4 is secured, in a manner to be described further on, a header 9. This header has four compartments, two of which 9a and 9h are quarters of a complete circle, the thirdof them 9 being half of a circle. The walls of these three chambers make tight joints with the tube sheet 4,- as for example-at 10, Fig. 1.

The quarter header 9 has a connection 8, while the quarter header 9b has a connection 8". One of these is to be used as the inlet for the water and the other for the outlet. It will depend upon circumstances which is to be used for inlet and which for outlet. If 8a is the inlet for the water supplied `by the pump, the water will first be delivered to chamber 9. From this it will iiow through those tubes 6 connecting with it and will by them be delivered into the chamber9c. This chamber will carry the water across to the other side and deliver it to those elements whose further ends communicate with the chamber 9b. The water will thus reach the outlet 8".

The exhaust steam which is to heat the water on its course through the heater is delivered into the casingl through the two connections 11--1l. Tl-iaf steam will condense in heating the water, and the condensate/is carried away through the connection 12.

One of the features of my invention is the i a circle and the radial straight anges 9g-9g.

As will be clear from Fig. 4, two of the radial edges of the sections 9a and 9h are in contact with each other and the other two abut against the diametrical ange 9e. The circumferential flange thus formed is secured to the tube sheet 4 by means of studs and nuts 13. O11 the abutting straight langes are laid the clamping pieces 14. Each of these is secured to the tube sheet 4 b means of studs 15-15 which extend throug the clamps and flanges, the holes through the flanges being so located that half lies in each flange.

The square piece 32 presses against the central portion of the Hange l9e and against the inner corners of the radial flanges of the sections 9a and 9b, and is held in place by the stud 33, extending through the piece 32 and through a hole which is half in iiange 9 and one-fourth in each of the corners of the other flanges.

By means of this arrangement it is possible 'to remove either of the quarter sections or the half section without disturbing any joint except that of the piece to be removed.

The straight sides of the sections 9a, 9b, 9c abut against clamping pieces 111-14 and their tendency to bulge under internal pressure is thus largely counteracted. Similarly, any tendency of the arcuate outer sides to bulge is counteracted by the annular raised strip 4, against which the edges of these walls abut.

It Will be` noted that the quarter sections 9a and 9b are interchangeable, and this is very convenient in practice because the piping for the Water is sometimes from below as in the form illustrated and sometimes at right angles to this direction. i

' To support the ends of the tubular units at the closed end of the heater I have devised the arrangement next to be described. Such support becomes necessary as the total length of these units may be considerable.

The support consists in a plate 20 whose general form appears clearly in Fig. 5. It is a' sheet of metal generally circular in outline with spaces 16-16` cut away in its circumference and the intervening pieces 17-17 left to bear against the shell. The` sheet is perforated to accommodate the tubes 6, these perforations being slightly larger than the tubes so that the sheet can be slid along the entire group of tubes. It is held in position by means of four spaces 18-18. There may of course be some other number of these spacers if it is thought necessary. These spacers are threaded at one end 19 and screwed into the tube sheet 4. Their further ends are also threaded and extend through holes in the sheet 20 and carry the nuts 21. The fit between these openings and rods is quite loose so that the movement (gf the sheet on the tubes referred to above is not interfered with. The spacers or distance pieces 18 are slotted adjacent to the sheet 20, as indicated at 2l, and into these slots are put the keys 22.

The supporting sheet 20 will-thus be held firmly in place and will keep the tubes 6 from sagging or breaking olf. When it is desired to remove a tube from the interior of the bundle (the casing having been removed), it is not necessary to out out the tubes lying in the same plane outside of it. All that is necessary is to back off the nuts 21 far enough so that the keys 22 can be taken out, after which the sheet 2O can be slid along the nest of tubes until lit is adjacent to the tube sheet 4. The outer tubes can then be sprung apart maas@ far enough to pull out the injured tube after its ends have been cut at the tube sheet, and to put in the substitute tube for it.

The large central opening 30 and the openings 31-31 in the support 20 are for the twofold purpose of making the sheet lighter and of giving the steam freer access to all parts of the tubes.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described,acas ing open at one end, a tube-sheet closing the open end, a plurality of tubes secured to the tube sheet and extending into the casing, a

lsupport Within the casing at the closed end for the tubes, said support resting on the bottom of the casing and having perforations through which the tubes extend, and spacing bars normally keeping the support in position, the support perforations being large enough so the support can be slipped along the tubes to the tubesheet when the connections between the support and spacing bars are released. j

2. In apparatus of the class described, a cylindrical casing -open^at one end, a tube sheet closing the open end, a plurality of U-shaped tubular units extending into the shell and each having its two ends secured to y the tube sheet, a perforated support Within the casing at its closed end for the units, the tubes extending through the pertorations, spacing bars each secured by one end to the tube sheet and having its second end extending through the support, and readily detachable means to lock the second ends of the spacing bars to the support, the spacing bars and the straight portions of the units being parallel whereby, when the support is unlocked from the bars, it may be slid-to the tube sheet.

3. Apparatus according' to claim 2 the U-shaped units being arranged iii parallel planes each plane containing a plurality of nested units.

4. In apparatus of the class described the combination of a circular tube sheet, a plurality of sector-shaped hollow headers applied/ to the tube sheet, each header havingradial flanges, the lianges of adjoining headers being in Contact, bars each engaging adjoining flanges, and a row of studs along the line of contact between each pair of iianges and extending through the bar into the tube sheet.

' ADOLPH STARR. 

